'Star Wars' launches AR treasure hunt for Force Friday

Need a photo op with Admiral Ackbar or one of the those oh-so-adorable porgs from The Last Jedi? Well, you’re in luck. Aside from being the launch date for the first wave of new merch from the upcoming Episode VIII, Sept. 1, a.k.a. Force Friday, will mark the start of a three-day Star Wars treasure hunt at stores worldwide.

Beginning today, fans can update the Star Wars app, allowing them to see a preview of the augmented-reality graphics featuring the porgs, the cute new bird-like creatures who debuted in the latest round of publicity photos from the film. Then, once Force Friday kicks off, app users can use their phones to scan special “Find the Force” displays at some 20,000 different locations across the galaxy (OK, across the planet) and unlock holograms of various characters from the film. Five characters will be released per day in most stores, with 15 total arriving during the three-day event. (Watch the video above to get an idea of how it works.)

The bird-like porgs are among the augmented-reality creatures you can unlock. (Photo: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Fans can then post images of themselves interacting with the holograms on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #FindtheForce and #Sweepstakes from Sept. 1-3 for a chance to win tickets to the The Last Jedi world premiere in Los Angeles in December.